U.S. patent number 4,508,242 [Application Number 06/435,570] was granted by the patent office on 1985-04-02 for toothpaste extractor.
Invention is credited to Edward B. Wolfe.
United States Patent |
4,508,242 |
Wolfe |
April 2, 1985 |
Toothpaste extractor
Abstract
The toothpaste dispensing apparatus of my invention comprises an
enclosure which houses multiple separate tube holders for holding
the tubes of paste. It, also, contains a reversible motor connected
by a worm screw to a holder containing a pair of movable rollers
for dispensing tooth paste, shaving cream, etc. from any of its
multiple positions. The paste is discharged at the bottom of the
inner tube holder by a squeezing pressure exerted upon the tube by
the pair of rollers which moves downward over the inner tube
holder. This device is equipped with a switch for automatically
reversing the downward direction of the rollers when the contents
of the tube have been exhausted. A most unique feature is the
provision for housing several tubes and the selector knob, which
allows the operator to choose either one of the several tubes on
which to operate without having to dismantle or load or unload the
device.
Inventors: |
Wolfe; Edward B. (Reading,
PA) |
Family
ID: |
23728929 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/435,570 |
Filed: |
October 21, 1982 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/102;
222/251 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
35/285 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
35/28 (20060101); B65D 35/24 (20060101); B65D
035/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/92,95,101,102,105,98,185,96,251 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Tollberg; Stanley H.
Assistant Examiner: Noland; Kenneth
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Warren; William Z.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for dispensing toothpaste or like contents from one
of a multiplicity of collapsible tubes onto a toothbrush or other
object which comprises:
a housing;
reversible motor means located within said housing for selectively
rotating a threaded output shaft means in a clockwise or
counterclockwise manner;
means for powering said motor means located within said
housing;
threaded output shaft means directly associated with said motor
means for moving a rotatable roller means linearly in a first
direction and a second direction on said threaded output shaft
means, as said shaft means moves in a clockwise and
counterclockwise manner;
rotatable roller means associated with said shaft means so as to
move on said shaft means as said shaft means rotates;
outlet means associated with said housing through which said paste
from said collapsible tube is expelled;
closure member movable across said outlet means and reciprocally
movable across said outlet means between a first position where
said outlet is closed to a second position where said outlet is
open;
first switch means associated with said motor means for actuating
said motor means by said power means so as to rotate said shaft
means;
a toothbrush for moving said closure member from said first
position to said second position wherein said closure member
directly engages said first switch means so as to actuate said
motor means such that said roller means moves on said shaft means
and said toothpaste is applied to said toothbrush;
second switch means associated with said motor means for actuating
said motor means by said power means so as to selectively rotate
said shaft means in a clockwise and counterclockwise manner upon
actuation of said motor means such that said roller means moves in
a first direction and a second direction on said shaft means;
third switch means associated with said power means and actuated by
said roller means for reversing the polarity of said motor means
when said roller means has moved in said first direction so as to
completely dispense the contents of said collapsible tube;
fourth switch means associated with said power means and actuated
by said roller means for reversing the polarity of said motor means
when said roller means has moved in said second direction so as to
be at the extremity of its starting position;
a multiplicity of tube holding means located within said
housing;
a selector means to rotate said roller means to the appropriate
position to operate on a particular tube holding means;
an indicator means to inform the operator when said roller means
has been moved by said selector means to said appropriate position
to operate on a particular tube holding means;
a connector means to provide linkage between said selector means
and said roller means only when said roller means is at the
extremity of its starting position;
a bearings means which allows said roller means to be rotated
without turning said shaft means.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said multiplicity of
tube holding means comprises two tube holding means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is the purpose of this invention to provide a clean, simple and
efficient device for applying dental paste to a toothbrush. This
dispenser will also allow the family that has the need to use
several types of paste to accomplish this need without any
inconvenience, requiring only the push of a button and the turn of
a knob. When the toothpaste tube has been completely exhausted, my
device automatically causes the tube compressing means to reverse,
thereby eliminating the need for an indicating means and for any
overt act on the part of the operator.
Furthermore, this dispenser is electrical shock free, sturdy but
light in weight, and inexpensive to build and repair.
Similar devices of the prior art are complicated in structure and
operation and, having many moving parts, are not economical to
manufacture or repair. Some devices lack an indicating means for
making the operator aware of when all of the paste has been
expelled from the tube. Even those devices which provide a means
for indicating when the tube is fully collapsed require that the
operator perform an operation to reverse the direction of the tube
compressing means, usually rollers, in order to remove the
exhausted tube. I am, also, not aware of any device which allows
the operator to have the convenient choice of either of several
different tubes of toothpaste or shaving cream, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The toothpaste dispensing apparatus of my invention comprises an
enclosure which houses multiple separate tube holders for holding
the tubes of paste. It, also, contains a reversible motor connected
by a worm screw to a holder containing a pair of movable rollers
for dispensing tooth paste, shaving cream, etc. from any of its
multiple positions. The paste is discharged at the bottom of the
inner tube holder by a squeezing pressure exerted upon the tube by
the pair of rollers which moves downward over the said inner tube
holder. This device is equipped with a switch for automatically
reversing the downward direction of the rollers when the contents
of the tube have been exhausted. A most unique feature is the
provision for housing several tubes and the selector knob, which
allows the operator to choose either one of the several tubes
without having to dismantle or load or unload the device.
The apparatus of the present invention is easy and economical to
manufacture and offers a convenient and efficient mechanism for
dispensing the contents of any of several collapsible tubes.
By virtue of the employment of a limited number of movable parts
and gears, the incidence of malfunction and cost of manufacture and
repair is greatly reduced.
Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more
apparent after a careful study of the following detailed
description taken together with the accompanying drawings which
illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view, showing internal portions, of this
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view, showing the internal portions, of this
invention; and
FIG. 3 is a front view, showing the internal portions, of this
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein is
illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, in this case,
a two-tube dispenser, FIG. 1, the top view, shows the life long
plastic hinge (19), the plastic snap latch (20), and the main
housing door (21). To open the door (21), the operator must apply a
small amount of inward pressure along the snap latch (20) side and
swing the door (21) to the left. When the door (21) is open, there
will be exposed the two plastic tube holders (4), as shown in FIG.
3, which also each have a life long plastic hinge. The tubes of
paste (5) are inserted by the operator into the holders (4); the
holders (4) are then closed, as is the main door (21). The operator
then chooses the desired tube of paste (5), by grasping the knob
(7), see FIG. 2, on the top of the dispenser, and rotating said
knob (7) to either the left or right. Once the knob (7) has been
turned to the proper position for aligning the rollers (2) over the
chosen holder (4), further movement of the knob (7) will be
prevented by a stop plate (8). The knob (7) may be turned at any
time, but only when the holder (18) with its rollers (2) is at the
extreme top of the limit of its travel along the worm screw (3) is
the holder (18) able to be turned to the position desired.
As shown in FIG. 2, the worm screw (3) and guide bar (13) control
the travel of the holder (18) with its rollers (2). The guide bar
(13) extends through a hole in the holder (18). When the rollers
(2) have traveled to the bottom of the tube holder (4), the roller
holder (18) will contact a reversing switch (9), which will cause
the motor (12) to reverse its polarity and, when said motor (12) is
actuated, cause the worm screw (3) to turn in a direction such that
the holder (18) with its rollers (2) will move in an upward
direction. This upward direction can also be accomplished at any
time by pressing the rocker switch (11) in the appropriate
direction. When the roller holder (18) reaches the upper extremity
of its travel, it contacts another reversing switch (6), which will
cause the motor (12) to reverse its polarity and, when said motor
(12) is actuated, cause the worm screw (3) to turn in a direction
such that the holder (18) with its rollers (2) will move in the
downward direction. When the holder (18) reaches the upper
extremity of its travel, a locating pin (14), being pushed upward
by the holder (18), is inserted into holes in the stop plate (8)
and the rotating plate (15), which is mounted on the knob (7). At
this time and only in this position are the stop plate (8) and the
rotating plate (15) joined, and only in this position, may the
holder (18) with its rollers (2) be rotated to the other
position.
FIG. 3 shows the two tube holders (4) with their tubes (5),
together with the output location (10) for dispensing the paste.
There is a spring loaded flap (22) which is pushed aside by the
tooth brush to contact a switch (23), which actuates the motor (12)
causing the worm screw (3) to drive the holder (18) downward and
the rollers (2) to compress the tube holder (4) with its tube (5)
to extract paste and place it on the brush. FIG. 3 also shows the
base plate (16) and the bearing (17) which rotates around the base
of the worm screw (3). Also shown is the top plate (24) and its
bearing (25). Mounted on the top plate (24) is the locating pin
(14) and the top reversing switch (6). Protruding through the top
plate (24) is the guide bar (13), which is connected to the stop
plate (8) at the top and to the base plate (16) at the bottom.
Since the guide bar (13) is connected to the stop plate (8), when
the locating pin (14) engages the holes in the stop plate (8) and
the rotating plate (15), the operator may turn the knob (7) and
rotate the holder (18) with its rollers (2) to the desired
position. The bearings (17,25) allow the holder (18) to be rotated,
without turning the worm screw (3).
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the
illustrations described and shown herein, which are deemed to be
merely illustrative of the best modes of carrying out the
invention, and which are susceptible to modification of form,
materials, size, number of tubes, arrangement of parts and details
of operation. The invention rather is intended to encompass all
such modifications which are within its spirit and scope as defined
by the claims.
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